Solid convertible top



May 24, 1949. s. E. SHILALA SOLID CONVERTIBLE TOP Filed July 17, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 1 56 54 I00 68 I2 I02 l2 FIGURE 3 INVENTOR.

GEORGE E. SHILALA A'ITU R NEYE May 24, 1949. G. E. SHILALA SOLIDCONVERTIBLE TOP Filed-July 17, 1945 2 Shets-Sheet 2 :IIIIIIII."

48 III/y FIGURE 5 FIGURE 6 FIGURE 7 INVENTOR.

GEORGE E. SHILALA llllllll ATI'CI RN EYS Patented May 24, 1949 unwrap*STNT-ES z t-T F713: ICE

. LCIaim.

l invention" relates to a solid 2 convertible top for automobiles.

At the present time most convertible-automobiies are: providedewithcollapsible mops/made of canvas on other similar material. These topsarenot durable; are: diflicult kto operate and are. .not eweatheriproofortightwhen closed.

'.=It-is an A object. of thisrinvention thereforent-o PIOVidB' a':solidtype top that has the advantage "-of giving .the occupants plentyctiresh-rairwhen open: and when closed is weatherwproof and tight .andcomparablein comfort-with a canmade :Wiiih anintegralclosed top.

The invention. contemplates :a rigid.- to that can be -madesof.metal,-;glass,-plastics or pressed.

\VOOCL? and so mounted; in. the auto'bodywthattit canbeweasily: raisedinto operative. position'.-o1 just as easilyreturned-within the body.

Another. advantage 1 oi the. invention .is to 'D videa trip-fleet 'willpossess .the. rugged features otaclosed body type auto in that itvwilbesafer .in case of-an accidenteand the canshould rollover oni-tstcp.

-.A further. object of theinventionris .to provide 1a top-ithatxpreventstheft t valuables .in the. car a on of thecar.

-A still f urtherobject ottheinvention isrto provide. a.convertibletopthat: can be. better weather .lproofed. than. are the.present. type. of convertible topsinuse.

.When closedthe topswill presentanattractive appearanceconformingmore-tothevappearance eta closed-type of auto yet. givingthetadvantage of an open type auto.

Qther. objectsvand -advantages will appear as .i

the description proceeds and points out the combination of elementsandarrangement of parts which are clearly illustrated in the accompanyingdrawingsin'which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation-of an'automobile incorporating an iembodiment of the invention with the top in closed position,

Figure 2 is 'a top viewof thesame .with the topin lowered or'openposition,

. Figure 3. is a sectionalvi'ew on the .liner' 3-'-3 "Figure 4' isadetailed sectional view of: the weather stripping between the top andturtle back .and body ofthe automobile;

Figure 5 is an" enlarged detailed view showing the mechanism forcontrolling the top and turtle back of the automobile,

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line '6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of Figure 6,

.2 Figure 8 .is an enlarged-detail view ct the switch mechanismcontrolling. the top" and; itswcoaction with the hand brake of 'theautomobile,

:Eigure 9?. is a: perspective view; of' :the switch .nnd'controllinktherefor,

:7 Figure; 10 is: a diagrammatic representatiomof :an electric: circuitcapable of controllingiithetac- :tuation at the top and its associatedparts,.= and Figure llr is an enlarged'elevational viewrpart-'lyrinvsection, of the mechanism for contnolling thetop and cover.

.fiReferring more in detail to thedrawingythe numeral I 0 generallydesignates a' conventibleixtype .automobile having .therm'ovable morontop? poration: i2 "WhiChZaS' has been statdrcanirbeiwmade:"from'vaarious materials.

I'Fhe: rear. compartment M1: of" the automobile i8 is: normallyclosed bya .-turtle *back"=cover lG which "is pivoted or hinged atsits loweren'drimany conventional manner and provided' withr. as dock at 81 atritsupper :end.

:In :crder to: gain access to. the: rear compartment M the cover !5isprovided with-.es smalmld :zawmeh is connected to :the cover'lfifibyii-hinges :in theconventional' manner andis-provided with theusual-lock and handle 22.

The cover I6 is raised "by' nrieansc of linksMl and which arearrangedwithin the-compartment M cf-the automobile I0.

The li'nk 24-is a--composite link having the short-' "portion 28pi-votally connecteda depending ear 3w formed 'integral with or weldedto the cover {6. The portion is-siidabiy'relatd "with and connectedto'the long portion ilfiat "one 'endthereof; the other'end" of the"portion 32 being pivotally connected to the-IinK ZB.

The -portions"28 and 32 "-b'eing"s1idably "connested together by meansof elongated *slots" 34 N40 receiving a rectangular-headed bolt 36*whichiis offgreaterdiameter than the slots" 34 and asleeve bya nut 40.

"Theportionlzn has a struck out, projection "42 extending in adirectionppposite .to astru'ck out projection 44' in the portion 32.

"The projections beingadapte'd to receiveitthe curved ends 451015 aspring '48.

structure is. incorporated .in- .thellinki: 24 .to compensate for the.overrun. cfi 'the-elect'ric ..motorlwhich raisesithe -top. .l'2 andnthezcover It or for strains and stress-hetweemthetop. and the cover I6.

.The end of the link 26 not pivotaliy connected to the link 24 isprovided with a sprocket gear 52 which is rotatably mounted on one ofthe interior side walls of the compartment M.

The top I2 is provided with dependent ears 54 which are secured to ahorizontally-disposed shaft 56 rotatably mounted in the compartment 14.

One end of shaft 58 is provided with a sprocket gear 58 which isrotatably connected to the sprocket gear 52 by a sprocket chain 60.

An idler sprocket gear 62 adjustably mounted on the side wall of thecompartment [9 intermediate the gears 52 and 56 compensates for anyslack occurring in the chain 60.

The other end of the shaft 56 is provided with a worm gear 65 whichmeshes with a worm 66 on the upper end of the inclined shaft 68 which isgiven bearing support in the rear wall of the compartment l t. The shaft68 at its lower end has a worm gear '10 thereon meshing with a worm 12on the shaft of the motor 50 which is mounted on the floor of the autol9, immediately in the rear of the seat 14 thereof.

Thus when the motor 59 is actuated by a switch 16 the structure of whichwill be later described, the shaft 56 will be rotated through the worml2 and worm gear 19 on the lower end of the shaft 68 and the worm 6t andgear 99 on the upper end thereof. The gear 58 will rotate gear 52 bymeans of the chain 68 and the cover l6 will be raised and the top IEwill be raised into closed position. The chain 59 is provided with aswitch actuator 58 which actuates the switches 80 by contact therewithto stop the motor when the top [2 has assumed its two extreme positions.

The switch 18 is slidably mounted by means of aligned openings 82 in theends 84 of the switch being received on the U-shaped guide bracket 86,which is secured to the dash board 88 of the automobile in alignmentwith the hand brake 90.

Pivoted to the hand brake 99 by means of a pivot pin 92 is a switchcontrol rod 94 which is pivotally connected to the end 84 of the switch16 by means of a pin 96.

Therefore when the brake 99 is on the switch 16 will be accessible butwhen the brake 90 is 01f the switch it cannot be operated to actuate themotor 59 to operate the top.

This is a very important safety feature of the invention.

To make the top weather proof the body I at the junction thereof withthe top is provided with a chrome plated weather strip 98 which abutsand. contacts the rubber weather strip 100, fastened to the edge of thetop l2. The weather strips being retained in position by well knownfastening means [02.

The circuit arrangement shown in Figure 10, includes the switch 16, aconventional reversing switch which when in up position will actuate themotor 50 to raise the top l2 in central or neutral position, the circuitis open and when the switch is down the top will go back into thecompartment l4. As previously stated, this switch is mounted on thedashboard. The switch 16 has one terminal connected to the source ofcurrent, which in this instance is the battery [04 of the auto. Oneterminal leads to one of the limit switches 80, then to the motor 50back to the other terminal of the switch 16. The lock I8 is electricallyconnected to the lines leading to the motor 50, and the lock is openedwhen the motor 50 is actuated.

Thus upon placing the switch 16 in up or down position the motor isactuated, the lock I8 is unlocked and the top l2 will be raised orlowered until one of the limit switches is contacted whereupon thecircuit will be broken, stopping the motor, but the other circuit willbe made, for operation in the opposite direction when the switch isthrown in the opposite direction.

Thus it will be seen that there has been provided a construction bywhich the various objects and practical advantages are achieved.

The construction is practical, compact, easily operated and safe sinceit cannot be operated unless the auto has stopped and the brake applied.

Since many modifications and changes may be made in the embodiment setforth it is to be understood that changes may be made within the spiritof the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a vehicle body, the combination with a compartment in the rear ofsaid body, a cover hingedly connected to the rear of said body andmounted for opening and closing movement with respect to saidcompartment, and a top hingedly connected to said body and mounted forpivotal movement into and out of said compartment, of a means forcausing opening and closing movement of said cover, said meanscomprising a first link having one end pivotally connected to saidcover, a second link having one end pivotally connected to the other endof said first link, a gear secured to the other end of said second link,a reversible motor mounted in said vehicle body, means including a chainand sprocket operatively connecting said motor to said gear foractuating said first and second links to cause opening and closingmovement of said cover, and means operatively connecting said motor tosaid top for causing pivotal movement of the latter,'said lastnamed'means comprising a plurality of spaced ears secured to said top, ahorizontally-disposed rotatable shaft supported in said vehicle body andsecured to said ears, a worm gear journaled on an end of said shaft, arotatable inclined shaft supported in said vehicle body, a worm mountedon the upper end of said inclined shaft and arranged in meshingengagement with the worm gear on said horizontally disposed shaft, and aworm gear on the lower end of said inclined shaft operatively connectedto said motor.

GEORGE E. SHILALA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,819,545 Delp Aug. 18, 19312,007,873 Paulin July 9, 1935 2,105,293 Paulin Jan. 11, 1938 2,111,885Cambessedes Mar. 22, 1938 2,181,869 Carr Dec. 5, 1939 2,191,269 AtwaterFeb, 20, 1940 2,215,368 Rupple et al Sept. 17, 1940

